Over the past eight months until August this year the Ministry of Interior has deported 22,000 expatriates for various reasons including those violating the labor laws and criminals, and those who committed serious traffic violations.

Informed sources said 8,000 of them were found to be ‘unfit’ by the health authorities, a majority of them Arabs and most of them said to be suffering from Hepatitis and 10 were carriers of AIDS.

The sources pointed out among the deportees were US and British citizens of Arab origin. Some of the deportees were holding Doctorate degrees and about 4,000 were university graduates.

Giving a breakdown of the deportees, the authorities said the Indian community topped the list with 24 percent, followed by the Egyptians, 23 percent, the Filipinos 14 percent, Ethiopians 13 percent, Sri Lankans seven and Bangladeshis six percent.

The sources pointed out the Ministry of the Interior is currently pursuing 80,000 expatriates for violating the labor and residence laws, most of them are believed to be holed in residential and industrial areas, farms and livestock pens.